Petawawa, Ont., stabbing leads to 1st-degree murder charge

Brian David Goddard, of no fixed address, will be remanded in custody

Posted:
Jun 29, 2013 8:57 AM ET

Last Updated:
Jun 29, 2013 3:38 PM ET

A 25-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder after a stabbing attack in Petawawa, Ont., left one man dead and a woman and teenage girl critically injured.

Brian David Goddard appeared in a Kingston, Ont., courtroom on Saturday morning via video from the Ontario Provincial Police detachment where he is being held, according to OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae.

Rae said Goddard, who has no fixed address, will be remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Tuesday in Pembroke.

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On Friday, police received a 911 call just before 11 a.m. ET for an incident at a home on East Street at Petawawa Point, which is near the shore of the Ottawa River.

Woman chased suspect from home, she writes

Officers found a man dead, who has since been identified as 56-year-old Danny Pietersma. They also found a woman, 55, and teenage girl, 17, with critical injuries and paramedics transported them to hospital.

They remain in two separate hospitals in Ottawa.

A woman named Karisma Pietersma, who said she was Danny Pietersma's daughter, wrote on her Facebook wall she chased the suspect out of her home Friday.

She also wrote her father was killed and her mother was in surgery at an Ottawa hospital.

"RIP Dan Pietersma I love you so very much. I will miss you more than anyone will know," wrote Pietersma.

Both Pietersma and his wife were stabbed on East Street, according to neighbours at nearby Jan Drive, which is where they said the third victim was injured.

Neighbours named her as 17-year-old Emma Guthrie and said she was stabbed at her mother's home daycare. Neither Guthrie's mother nor any children were inside the home at the time of the incident, the neighbours added.

3-hour manhunt

Later on Friday, police launched a search for a suspect, who was believed to be armed and dangerous, with a helicopter and canine unit, as well as officers on the ground. Military police were also involved in the search.

Residents of Petawawa, which is just less than a two-hour drive northwest of Ottawa, were told to stay inside and some schools were under lockdown.

Goddard was later arrested and assessed by paramedics. Police said he has no connection to CFB Petawawa.

The investigation continues and police are asking anyone with information to contact Upper Ottawa Valley OPP.